AMC Grand Chief message for the New Year
December 31, 2019
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba
AMC Communications
Today marks a time to enjoy the celebrations and ceremonies of the New Year and a special time of renewal and hope for the coming days. It is also the perfect occasion to reflect on the successes of the past year in honour of our First Nations Chiefs, Councillors, Elders, youth and citizens, who are the foundation of our strength as sovereign Nations.
We at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) want to thank you for all you do for your families and Nations – for raising our children, helping our Elders, volunteering and working hard for our people. We also want to acknowledge that our organization would not be able to enjoy the successes of our initiatives and projects without your commitment to the AMC, and to all the other First Nation organizations in Manitoba.
The AMC was created as a unifying political entity with a mandate to advocate for, and to defend, the rights of our people in Manitoba. In our position of First Nations governance, we have been able to influence and affect change in government laws and policies with the support from our First Nations leaders and citizens, and we acknowledge you all for this continued support.
Over the last year, the AMC has been advocating strenuously for urgent and substantive action to address how governments continue to disregard the rights and freedoms of our peoples. AMC has worked on several strategic files regarding Bringing Our Children Home, Bill C-92, the Five Nations Template Laws on Children and Families, and Jordan’s Principle, to push for the necessary change at the inter-governmental level.
Our entire team at AMC, from our Council of Elders, Women’s Council, Executive Council, to our talented Personnel, have been focused on priorities including the over-representation of our children in foster care and the importance of repatriation and reunification. We have been vocal in addressing over-incarceration of our peoples in prisons; missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls; and the underfunding of critical social programs and services for First Nations’ health, housing, and education. The AMC continues to undertake emergency measures in response to environment issues and natural disasters. This was seen during the October winter storm when the AMC worked tirelessly to ensure the 5,700 citizens from 13 Manitoba First Nations displaced from their homes received the assistance they required during the power outage and state of emergency.
We at the AMC believe that First Nations deserve the respect for our inherent right to be self-determining, that we have the capability and fortitude to guide our people as sovereign Nations in the full implementation of our treaty rights and title with our own jurisdictions, laws and governing systems.
To this end, the AMC anticipates the achievement of many more successes in the year to come. We wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year.
Ekosani.
Grand Chief Arlen Dumas